She gave him a wary look and said, "Uh, yeah," in that what-are you-talking-about-and-tell-me-more - much more - kind of way.

A thousand days later, with the help of 70-plus people, "Hundred Days" - starring the Bengsons - premiered Saturday at Z Space, and the backers of the hybrid rock concert-musical are hoping that the journey will continue all the way to Broadway.

"My thinking is we're going to go back into development with a plan to get it to New York," Steindler said. "We all have learned so much in the first run of the show."

Though "Hundred Days" is Z Space's most ambitious project, mounting it involved the usual steps of most theater works: the readings, the workshops, the auditions (although in this case the leads were already known), the logistics, the financing, the rehearsals and the previews.

But every show has its own story, its own characters, all of whom dedicate their lives to making the endeavor a success. In the case of "Hundred Days," it all started with love.

Love at first sight.

The stars

Abigail and Shaun Bengson

The Bengsons conceived of "Hundred Days" when they realized that their love had led them to start questioning their own mortality. What happens if you learn that your soul mate has only a hundred days to live? In "Hundred Days," the protagonists decide to live that period as if it were six decades. The Bengsons play dual roles - themselves and 1940s couple Sarah and Will.

"We were both so young that the moment of our falling in love made the stakes go through the roof," Shaun said.

"I traded my immortality for my love," Abigail said. "I thought it was a myth or a metaphor, and it was real clear."

So the two started to write songs to express their passion about life and death issues. "What would we do, what could we do?" Abigail said, and it became an art piece they could surrender their feelings to.

During their stay in San Francisco, the Bengsons, both 30, have also performed around town, including a stint at the recent Sly and the Family Stone tribute at the Independent. The curly-haired Abigail, who always seems to have a smile on her face, grew up in Vermont, where she was raised learning music and poetry. She majored in theater at Williams College in Massachusetts and moved to New York right after that.

The bearded Shaun, with his sweet smile, was home- schooled in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in a family of pastors and church organists. He majored in musicology at Indiana University and moved to New York, where he wrote musicals for children with autism.

Shaun was playing in a band when he met Abigail almost seven years ago at a party. Since leaving New York 5 1/2 years ago, the two have been living in their Honda and depending on friends and family for a place to stay when performing.

Now their days consist of music rehearsals, script changes, costume fittings, constant rewrites and, of course, character development. One day they will work only on music, another on dance movement, or even just one scene to revise and re-revise the script. At one point, Abigail lost her voice.

The fact that the Bengsons are not only the stars but also the composers, the writers and the creators - involved with every facet of the project - is somewhat rare for a production of this stature. But observations at rehearsals reveal that they listen to their colleagues and are willing to make changes.

One song was cut, to the dismay of the Bengsons, and then put back in - sort of.

"It used to be a three-minute thing," Shaun said.

"Then it was like 90 seconds," Abigail said. "Now it's 15 seconds."

"Everybody is working to their peak capacity," Abigail added. Everyone is happy and doing their best work. For us, it's all about collaboration. It's how we work."

The producers

James Faerron

and Lisa Steindler

After Faerron made his case to Steindler about the Bengsons, there was no question that "Hundred Days" was the right fit for Z Space.

Both have been on the San Francisco theater scene for some time, meeting in 1998 when Steindler was producing a show at Encore.

"We had a symbiosis on how we do things," said Steindler, who became artistic director of Z Space in 2005. "We have a very similar vision for theater in San Francisco. We had a great time on that (Encore) show, and have been friends ever since."

In the initial stages of the production when some cast members couldn't get together, the producers relied on Skype to get details in order.

According to Faerron and Steindler, the show has mostly held to its $800,000 budget and schedule, but there have been glitches. Perhaps the most unexpected was the need to secure a temporary rehearsal space when the Kronos Quartet rented Z Space for a weekend, a booking Faerron had overlooked. All ended well as the cast and crew gathered at the General's Residence at Fort Mason for a few days.

So, what does a producer actually do? Steindler gave this response: "My job as artistic director is not only about finances or choosing which shows I will develop and produce but, more important, it is about creating the team and overseeing the artistic process and outcome.

"Technical rehearsal is my favorite time because so much can change, and I have the outside and fresh eye to see things that perhaps others can't because they are so close to and inside the piece. As artistic directors, we need to know when to be in the room and - perhaps more important - when not to be in the room and let the creative process happen without our presence."

Steindler insisted on having a pingpong table at Z Space. Probably meant for relaxation for the staff, it was put to good use at a recent meeting when much of the cast sat around it making script revisions.

Even though the show has opened, things continue to evolve.

"During our previews, a lot changed going into opening night," Steindler said. "It's going to be a continuing process. My thinking is we're going to go back into development with a plan to get it to New York. Things are changing fast."

The director

A lot of directors wanted to do this project, but for the Bengsons, Faerron and Steindler, there was only one person right for the job. Obie winner Anne Kauffman is one of the most sought-after directors in the nation, with recent credits including "Smokefall" at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa, and "Detroit" at Playwrights Horizon in New York. She's been working nonstop. As a matter of fact, "Hundred Days' " timing was based on Kauffman's availability.

Her job is to take everyone's vision of the show and turn it into a whole. She works closely with - well, everyone. At the first preview, which still required tech work adjustments (what those in the business refer to as "watching the paint dry"), one could feel Kauffman's commanding presence in the theater when she uttered one word: "hold," meaning, "Let's figure out what we want to do next to perfect this play."

"There needs to be a chemistry in the room," said Kauffman, who employs a supportive style of directing. "Choosing the collaborators is a very sensitive and crucial process. It was important that we all respected and trusted each other. I feel like I can say anything and not feel offended, and sort of contribute as equals."

The playwright

Kate E. Ryan

"Hundred Days" was written by the Bengsons, but they realized early on that they needed someone who could shape the book.

"We wrote the music and the story," Abigail Bengson said. "Kate had all these amazing ways to tell the story and blurred the lines so the play wasn't so stark."

A native New Englander who now lives in the Bay Area, Kate Ryan has credentials that include "Dot" (directed by Kauffman) and its sequel, "Science Is Close." She took on "Hundred Days" because of the story and because of the Bengsons, whom she saw as having that "it" factor.

The stage manager

On a rainy day in San Francisco, Sarah Bingel pulled up to Fort Mason's General's Residence on her bicycle. She was the one who would make a phone call to open the door so a much-needed rehearsal could take place.

Need a handle on the size of the stage or rehearsal space? Need to have release forms signed? Need a bottle of water? Are the logistics correct? Who sets up the space, finds the chairs and tables? Deals with Actors Equity issues? Whom do you call?

The stage manager. Bingel is the go-to person - or knows who the go-to person is - to keep this show on schedule.

Freelancer Bingel, who moved to the Bay Area in 2006 after graduating from Brandeis University in Massachusetts, has done work at the Magic Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, California Shakespeare Theater and other Bay Area companies. She says she got the "Hundred Days" job through word of mouth, but sometimes finds her jobs on such sites as Playbill.com and Opera America.

The rest of the cast and crew

There's much more to "Hundred Days" than the key players mentioned. Among the best of the rest are award-winning Joe Goode - choreographer, innovator, jack of all trades - and another producer, Wendy vanden Heuvel.

But then there are the supporting actors and musicians, various assistants, people who work on props and scripts, the lighting designer, the set designer, the sound designer - the show couldn't go on without them. Sound designer Drew Yerys and his team have been busy working on in-your-ear monitors. Set designer Kris Stone and his crew developed the wall that emulates Z Space's rectangular warehouse windows.

And costume designer Christine Crook has been clothes shopping all around town and showing up for fittings on short notice. At the General's Residence, she took over the women's bathroom, spreading clothes on a counter and fitting performer Kate Kilbane with a pretty shirt with a Peter Pan collar. After a few moments of contemplation, Crook suggested that Kilbane put on the blouse backward. They had a winner.

As everyone involved with "Hundred Days," hopes for a bigger winner, Faerron sums up the whole experience:

"We're just trying to keep at it and go with the flow," he says. "A lot of people are working extremely hard. This is a huge learning curve for all of us. We're doing something different, something new, something bigger than we're used to.